EDIT: **DELETED **
Oops could have sworn I posted in the Fanboys thread...
Oops could have sworn I posted in the Fanboys thread...
First look at Kato in THE GREEN HORNET
- Thread starter JacksonArcher
- Start date
In his entire film career, how many times has he played it straight?
If anyone's interested in the Green Hornet's Black Beauty:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/25/comic-con-2009-the-green-hornets-black-beauty-looks-ready-to-r/
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/25/comic-con-2009-the-green-hornets-black-beauty-looks-ready-to-r/
That stunt double looks like he means business.
From what I've seen so far it looks like they've really used the TV show look as the basis for their design, modernizing it as would be expected.
saddens me that kato needs a stunt double now, though. bruce lee is hard to match.
^ It's no reflection on the actor playing Kato in the movie. This is a multi-million-dollar project. If he sprains an ankle or wrist or sustains a cut to his face, shooting might be held up for weeks or months, costing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ galore. Doesn't make him a wuss, just means the studio has to protect its investment.
You can say the same thing about Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Michael Keaton, among others before they took on more serious roles. Just because they have done only comedies in the past, doesn't mean that is the only thing they can do.
Besides, as I suggested in my earlier post, this might be more along the lines of STXI where it is an action movie, with several comedic moments. Would you classify STXI a comedy?
^Still, if this Rogen character is the star, and given people's preconceptions about superhero fiction, a lot of people are going to assume it's a comedy, and the ad agency responsible for promoting the film might be among them. It would hardly be the first time a film was mismarketed.
While it won't be an outright spoof, I do think it's going to be more comedic than something like Raiders of the Lost Ark (despite Rogen likening it to that film). That's my gut feeling based on the cast, writers, and director, but we'll see how it turns out.
Even with the weight loss, it's hard to imagine Rogen as a serious superhero. Pre-Batman, Michael Keaton had handled drama adeptly in Clean and Sober and had played a debonair ladies' man in Johnny Dangerously. He had mostly made comedies, but he was, for the most part, a comedic leading man. The leap to him playing Batman wasn't as wide as many people thought at the time. Rogen, on the other hand, is a schlub. He's made his career on playing schlubs. His lead roles have been based around the fact that he's a schlub. "Schlub knocks up hot girl, hilarity ensues." And Rogen still looks like a schlub as Britt Reid in the recent set pics. He just doesn't have a face conducive to looking good in a green mask and fedora.
Even with the weight loss, it's hard to imagine Rogen as a serious superhero. Pre-Batman, Michael Keaton had handled drama adeptly in Clean and Sober and had played a debonair ladies' man in Johnny Dangerously. He had mostly made comedies, but he was, for the most part, a comedic leading man. The leap to him playing Batman wasn't as wide as many people thought at the time. Rogen, on the other hand, is a schlub. He's made his career on playing schlubs. His lead roles have been based around the fact that he's a schlub. "Schlub knocks up hot girl, hilarity ensues." And Rogen still looks like a schlub as Britt Reid in the recent set pics. He just doesn't have a face conducive to looking good in a green mask and fedora.
Most of those actors you mentioned are actually good enough to do both genres. The jury's still out on Rogen, I think.
Yeah, the casting choice has seemed bizarre to me from the get-go. And I recall reading that the premise involves Britt being a less capable crimefighter than his sidekick, with Kato basically carrying the team. Which strikes me more as a metatextual take on it, based on Bruce Lee being more famous than nominal lead Van Williams, than a faithful take on the premise and characters.
Of course I wouldn't want the film to be too faithful, since Kato was in kind of a subordinate role and there was no doubt a good deal of stereotyping in the radio show. But I would rather see Britt Reid played straight as the cunning underworld-smashing figure that he is.
Actually things have changed since Bruce Lee's time. I remember watching an interview of Jackie Chan (probably during the time Rush Hour was being made) where he complained that he isn't allowed to just go and climb a wall cos it's there because of all the rules they have in Hollywood. In Hong Kong, he would have just gone ahead and done that- no problem.
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